Prescription Bottle Label Degrader

Abstract

A simple hand held label degrading device and method employs a molded polymer ring (collar) having a plurality of molded hardened pointed teeth on the internal circumference projecting radially inward for degrading the label of a prescription bottle or the like inserted therein. A longitudinal slot in the collar allows it to be fitted over a bottle such that simple hand squeezing of the collar compresses the collar around the bottle and engages the pointed teeth against the label. Simple hand twisting of the collar around the bottle in a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation cuts through the plastic composite or paper label and shreds the label rendering sensitive information illegible thus protecting personal health information. The bottles can then be thrown away or recycled without fear of medical identity theft.

Claims

1. A label degrading device, comprising: a generally cylindrical collar having a circumferential wall with an inner surface and an outer surface; and a plurality of teeth extending radially inwardly from the inner surface of the circumferential wall of said collar; wherein a longitudinal slot is formed along and passing completely through the circumferential wall of said collar to define opposing edges of the circumferential wall, such that when said collar is squeezed by a user, the circumferential wall flexes inwardly and the opposing edges defined by the slot move toward each other, whereby the teeth are adapted to destructively engage a label carried on a vessel over which said collar is disposed such that hand twisting of the collar around the vessel renders illegible information printed on the label.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said collar comprises a polymeric material.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the polymeric material comprises at least one of polypropylene and polycarbonate.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the polymeric material further comprises a glass additive.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the glass additive comprises at least one of silica, talc and mica.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the polymeric material comprises from 10%-60% by weight of the glass additive.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the polymeric material comprises from 30%-40% by weight of the glass additive.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein the teeth comprise polymeric teeth integrally formed with the circumferential wall.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the collar comprises a plurality of rows of teeth, each row comprising at least two teeth, wherein the plurality of rows are longitudinally separated from each other.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a flexible metal insert disposed on the inner surface of the circumferential wall, wherein the teeth are stamped in the flexible metal insert.

11. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cap removably attached on a bottom end of said collar, the cap adapted to retain shredded label pieces within the collar.

12. The device of claim 1 further comprising a key formed on the collar, the key adapted to engage an indentation formed in a cap of the vessel, whereby the device acts as a gripping tool to facilitate removal and/or replacement of the cap.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the vessel comprises a prescription bottle.

14. The device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of gripping elements disposed on the outer surface of the circumferential wall, the gripping elements adapted to facilitate gripping of the device during twisting.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the gripping elements comprise longitudinally extending ridges extending radially outwardly from the outer surface of the circumferential wall.

16. The device of claim 1 further comprising a visual indicia disposed on the outer surface of the circumferential wall, the visual indicia indicative of a preferred direction of use.

17. A label degrading device, comprising: a generally cylindrical collar formed from a polymeric material and having a circumferential wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, the polymeric material comprising at least one of polypropylene and polycarbonate and at least one glass additive selected from the group consisting of silica, talc and mica; a plurality of longitudinally extending ridges extending radially outwardly from the outer surface of the circumferential wall, the gripping elements adapted to facilitate gripping of the device during twisting; and a plurality of teeth extending radially inwardly from the inner surface of the circumferential wall of said collar, the teeth comprising polymeric teeth integrally formed with the circumferential wall, and wherein the teeth are formed in a plurality of rows, each row comprising at least two teeth, and wherein the plurality of rows are longitudinally separated from each other; wherein a longitudinal slot is formed along and passing completely through the circumferential wall of said collar to define opposing edges of the circumferential wall, such that when said collar is squeezed by a user, the circumferential wall flexes inwardly and the opposing edges defined by the slot move toward each other, whereby the teeth are adapted to destructively engage a label carried on a vessel over which said collar is disposed such that hand twisting of the collar around the vessel renders illegible information printed on the label.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the polymeric material comprises from 10%-60% by weight of the glass additive.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the polymeric material comprises from 30%-40% by weight of the glass additive.

20. The device of claim 17 further comprising a cap removably attached on a bottom end of said collar, the cap adapted to retain shredded label pieces within the collar.

21. The device of claim 17 further comprising a key formed on the collar, the key adapted to engage an indentation formed in a cap of the vessel, whereby the device acts as a gripping tool to facilitate removal and/or replacement of the cap.

22. The device of claim 17 wherein the vessel comprises a prescription bottle.

23. The device of claim 17 further comprising a visual indicia disposed on the outer surface of the circumferential wall, the visual indicia indicative of a preferred direction of use.

24. A method for degrading a label carried on a vessel, said method comprising the steps of: providing a generally cylindrical collar having a circumferential wall with an inner surface and an outer surface and a plurality of teeth extending radially inwardly from the inner surface of the circumferential wall of the collar, wherein a longitudinal slot is formed along and passing completely through the circumferential wall of the collar to define opposing edges of the circumferential wall; disposing the collar over the vessel carrying the label; squeezing the collar with the vessel disposed therein so as to cause the circumferential wall to flex inwardly and the opposing edges defined by the slot to move toward each other, such that the teeth destructively engage the label carried the vessel; and twisting, by hand, the collar around the vessel thereby rendering illegible information printed on the label.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating a prescription bottle label degrader according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] FIG. 2A is a partial cross-sectional view of the prescription bottle label degrader shown in FIG. 1.

[0055] FIG. 2B is detail view illustrating a portion of the FIG. 2A in greater detail.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the prescription bottle label degrader shown in FIG. 1.

[0057] FIGS. 4A and 4B schematically illustrating a rasp like insert that may be used with the prescription bottle label degrader shown in FIG. 1 instead of or in addition to the teeth.

[0058] FIG. 5A is a partial cross-sectional view of the prescription bottle label degrader shown in FIG. 1 but further including a key that may be employed to assist in removing the cap from a prescription bottle.

[0059] FIG. 5B is an isometric view of a collar incorporating the key shown in FIG. 5A, but without teeth for degrading a label.

[0060] FIG. 5C schematically illustrates a typical prescription bottle cap with indentations into which the key shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B may be fitted.

[0061] FIG. 6 is an isometric view illustrating a prescription bottle label degrader similar top that shown in FIG. 1 but further including a snap on cap intended to collect and retain label shreds.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0062] Referring now to the Figures and first to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a collar (10) particularly useful for removing labels from a standard 13 dram prescription pill bottle (not shown) with a typical bottle diameter of 1.20 inches to 1.245 inches at the trailing end. The external surface of the molded plastic collar (10) contains multiple longitudinally extending ridges (20), typically from 3-15 ridges, to assist in gripping and twisting the collar (10). Other gripping mechanisms, such as nubs, can be molded or added to the external surface of the collar (10) to assist with gripping. Directional arrow (25) shows the preferred alignment of the collar (10) when fitted to the closed end of the bottle. The arrow (25) can be molded, printed or affixed with adhesive.

[0063] A longitudinal slot (30) formed in the collar (10) allows flexibility for the collar (10) to be expanded when fitted over the end of a pill bottle, but more importantly, allows the collar (10) to be compressed once fitted over the bottle. Typically, the slot dimension is 0.25 inches to 0.30 inches, but it can be as much as 0.5 inches or more for larger diameter collars. Hand compression of the collar (10) allows teeth (60) on the inside circumference to be engaged against the label with only slight hand pressure applied to the collar (10).

[0064] FIG. 2A shows a collar (10) with an overall length (50) of 1.280 inches, though the length generally will be from 1 inch to 2 inches for a 13 dram bottle. Collar (10) in FIG. 2A has teeth (60) that are preferably arranged in two or more rows on the collar (10) such that the points (61) of the leading edge teeth (62) are generally 0.30 inches below the leading edge (100) of the collar (30); so that when hand twisted, the points (61) engage the label at the location where personal information generally begins. Other dimensions can, of course, be accommodated.

[0065] In FIG. 2A, the upper row of teeth (62) has 11 teeth and a lower row of teeth (63) has 10 teeth. The total number of teeth is generally between 21 and 26. Teeth (60) are staggered and offset from one row to the other to assist with scrapping, shredding and removal of label material and PHI. Points (61) on the teeth (60) in FIG. 2A are formed from complex angels during manufacturing but could also be punched from a metal sleeve (rasp like) or established by pointed setscrews inserted externally through the collar circumference. The distance (64) between rows is typically 0.5 inches to 0.7 inches measured from point (61) to point (61).

[0066] The teeth (60) are generally 0.3 inches to 0.4 inches in length (65) and 0.08 inches thick (66) and protrude from the inside wall of the collar by a distance (68) of 0.123 inches towards the central axis of the collar (10).

[0067] FIG. 2B shows the details of a typical cutting tooth (60) in the top row (62) with details on the angles producing point (61). While not intending to be bound to the example in FIG. 2B, each tooth (60) extends 0.123 inches from the vertical wall (68) and the complex angle (X) is 22 degrees, but angles of 18-28 degrees are also useful. Angle (X) forming the point (61) in FIG. 2A is preferably 45 degrees. The length (65) of tooth (62) in FIG. 2B is 0.302 inches from the leading edge of the collar to the point of the tooth (62), which length (65) has been found generally sufficient to engage the top portion of a label closest to the pill bottle cap, which portion contains PHI to be degraded. A length (65) of 0.3 inches to 0.4 inches is generally acceptable for a tooth, but that length can be longer or shorter if desired. Shelf (67) at the top of tooth (62) is defined by angle (X) which is 45 degrees in FIG. 2B.

[0068] In general, as shown in FIG. 3, the dimension (D1) from diametrically opposed points (61) on the teeth (60) will be from 0-5% greater than the dimension of the bottle diameter. In FIG. 3 for example, dimension (D1) is 1.25 inches versus a bottle diameter of 1.20 inches to 1.245 inches for a typical 13 dram prescription bottle. This allows the collar to be easily moved up the length of the pill bottle and subsequently the teeth (60) are engaged by a simple squeezing of the collar (10) around the bottle. Spacing (95) of the teeth (60) is generally every 13-15 degrees on the inside circumference alternating between the top teeth (62) and the bottom teeth (63), but other spacing can be used. Generally, two to three teeth are eliminated at and adjacent to the longitudinal gap (30). Spacing (96) of the longitudinal gripping ridges (20) is typically every 18-24 degrees on the outside circumference, but some ridges may be removed to allow for the placement of logo, serial number, patent information or the like.

[0069] The leading edge (100) of the collar (10) can be flat, as shown in FIG. 2A, to fit against the cap, and the trailing edge (110) is typically beveled or rounded to provide a more comfortable grip. The thickness (120) of the molded collar (10) can be 0.125 inches, which provides both strength and flexibility during hand twisting; but other dimensions are also useful.

[0070] Twisting the collar (10) around bottle will degrade the label by cutting and scraping and shredding the label through contact with the teeth (60). It will be obvious to one skilled in the art is that larger diameter collars (10) can be designed for larger diameter bottles. The slot size (30) can also be increased from 0.25 inches to a larger dimension, for example 0.5 inches, and the number of teeth (60) can be increased for the larger circumferential area on a larger collar (10).

[0071] FIGS. 4A and 4B show a rasp like flexible metal insert (120) designed to fit into a plastic collar (10) as a permanent or replaceable sleeve alone or in combination with the plastic teeth (60). As indicated, the flexible metal insert (120) can be folded with end (AA) overlapping end (BB) such that the sharp points of the rasp (121) are positioned on the internal circumference for use in shredding of the label. In the case of a replaceable insert, the collar may have a channel into which the insert can be aligned and retained such that end (AA) fits over end (BB) and is secured together by small clips (122) or by a rivet and hole arrangement (123,124) yet able to slide on itself as the collar (10) is compressed or expanded. When the insert (120) is affixed to the collar (10) in a permanent fashion, however, the insert will normally instead have a gap that matches the gap (30) on the collar (10).

[0072] The insert (120) can be secured to the inside circumference of the collar (10) by over-molding, ultrasonic welding or other means readily known to one skilled in the art of injection molding of plastic parts. The insert (120) is preferably mounted at the top of the collar, in which case it may replace the first row of plastic teeth (62), but it can also be mounted alone in the top or middle of the collar (10) without teeth; or in certain configurations, it may be mounted between the two rows of plastic teeth or serve as a replacement for the first row of molded plastic teeth (62).

[0073] FIG. 5A shows a collar (10) having a slightly greater length (130) comprising a third row with a single blunted tooth acting as a key (140). This is useful in placing the trailing end of the collar over the cap (150) of the bottle such that the key (140) fits the indentations (155) now becoming common on the plastic cap of prescription bottles, where such a cap (150) is shown in FIG. 5C. While holding the bottle and positioning the trailing end of the collar (10) so that the key (140) is aligned with a cap indentation (155), a simple compression and twisting of the collar (10) can be used to easily remove or replace the cap (150) to a prescription bottle.

[0074] A single key (140) or multiple keys can be used, but a single key is more widely applicable as caps can vary in the number of indentations and a single key has been found to be sufficient. The key (140) will generally have a tapered dimension being narrower at the trailing end (143) than at the leading edge (142) and will preferably be positioned at the trailing end of the collar (10). While the height (141) of the key (140) is typically 0.350 inches to 0.375 inches, it can be longer or shorter. In general the depth of the key (140), for example at 0.090 inches, will be slightly less than the depth (68) of the teeth (60) on a collar (10), for example at 0.123 inches, so as not to interfere with the engagement of the teeth (60) to the label when a dual function device is used for label shredding.

[0075] While a dual function device is presented in FIG. 5A, either feature of the scraping teeth or cap removal key may be fabricated and used in a separate collar (10), or combined as a dual function device (10). When used as a separate collar (10) as in FIG. 5B, the overall height (135) of a separate collar (10) with just a key (140) is preferably 0.6 inches to 1.5 inches, but other heights are also practical. Gap (30) is not required for the separate collar (10) with just a key (140), but is preferred for added flexibility in fitting the collar (10) with a key (140) to the prescription bottle cap (150).

[0076] FIG. 6 shows a collar (10) of extended length (L1), where the length (L1) of the collar (10) is greater than the length of a prescription bottle by 0.2 inches to 0.5 inches, or even 1 inch to 2 inches to allow a cap (15) to be fitted to the trailing end of the collar (10) for the collection and retention of label shreds. When the collar (10) is in a non-compressed state it has a typical outside diameter (D1) of 1.70 inches to 1.75 inches, for example. Plastic cap (15) has a slightly smaller inside diameter (D2), for example 1.65 inches, that allows it to snap over the trailing edge of the collar (10) and slightly compress the collar (10) such that the cap (15) is retained in place. The cap (15) collects and retains the label shreds as the collar (10) degrades the label. A typical height (L2) for the collection cap (15) is 0.4 inches to 0.6 inches. The cap (15) can be removed from the collar (10) and label shreds can then be disposed in a waste receptacle.

[0077] Although the invention has been described with reference to particular arrangement of parts, features, and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and indeed many modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.